The Indonesia Open 2026 witnessed a contrasting day for Indian shuttlers as young sensation Ayush Shetty pulled off a stunning comeback victory, while the top men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were forced to retire early due to an injury.
Ayush Shetty's Remarkable Comeback
World No. 20 Ayush Shetty, aged 21, showcased immense grit and determination to overcome China's World No. 15 Weng Hong Yang in a thrilling first-round encounter. After a disastrous opening game where he lost 8-21, Ayush turned the tide spectacularly, winning the next two games 22-20 and 21-15 to seal the match in 66 minutes.
The young Indian appeared out of sorts after the first game but staged a fierce fightback in the second. Trailing 11-15 at one point, he unleashed a series of impressive rallies to level the match and force a decider. Carrying the momentum into the third game, Ayush took control early and comfortably closed out the contest. The Badminton Asia Championships silver medallist will now face Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu in the pre-quarterfinals.
Mixed Doubles Success
India also enjoyed success in the mixed doubles category as Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde advanced to the second round with a dominant 21-14, 21-14 victory over Chinese Taipei's Po-Hsuan Yang and Ling Fang Hu. The Indian duo looked in complete control throughout the match, securing a convincing win.
Injury Woes for Satwik-Chirag
However, there was disappointment for India's premier men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Fresh off their Singapore Open title triumph last week, the duo were forced to retire from their opening-round match after just seven minutes. Trailing 6-11 against Malaysia's Aaron Tai and Kang Khai Xing, Satwik appeared to suffer a shoulder problem and signaled discomfort, prompting the pair to withdraw from the contest.
Prannoy's Early Exit
In men's singles, experienced campaigner HS Prannoy also bowed out in the first round after a hard-fought three-game battle against Ireland's Nhat Nguyen. Prannoy lost 17-21, 21-16, 19-21 despite battling valiantly to stay in the contest. The match was closely contested, but Nguyen held his nerve in the decider to edge past the Indian.
